kewlit

Tuesday, August 19, 2003

Oil not a lasting answer to growing energy needs

Oil, even rising amounts of it, is not going to be a lasting answer to the ever-rising energy needs of a growing economy and population.

This is the lesson developing countries must learn in order to avoid the same dangerous trend that caused untold damage to the U.S. and Canadian economies in days of power failure blamed on conspicuous consumption.

"The present mode of power production and consumption using only the supply-and-demand model in North America is unsustainable," said Silvio Borraccino, managing director of E-Solar, based in the Jebel Ali Free Zone.

"If this energy disaster caught up with the most powerful and technologically advanced nation in the world, shouldn't we take a hint?" said Borraccino, an Italian energy expert. "It's just absurd that in the UAE, hotels, households and most people use power to cool down their living environment and use power again to heat up the water."

Dubai, which dubs itself the city of the future, also expends electricity on bulbs which go back nearly 100 years, he charged.

Borraccino said the crippling blackouts that have affected eight states and over 50 million people are just a warning shot ahead of more troubles to come, if future energy policy is simply more of the same.

Greens, specially in Europe, have in the past blamed what they say is a flawed supply-and-demand concept that underpins power consumption and production in North America.

"The U.S. has set a dangerous trend, and that is to produce whatever the people can consume irrespective of the consequences - not just consequences to them but to the world at large," said Borraccino.

The widespread power failures in countries that are also top producers of power generating systems have revealed a glaring need to reassess energy production and consumption patterns.

Borraccino charged that it was "short-sightedness" by the Bush administration that led them to create an energy policy which vehemently opposes the Rio and Kyoto agreements on emissions.

Instead, the U.S. offered to pay countries that emit less toxic air in exchange for the right to continue or raise its present carbondioxide emissions. He stressed that the U.S. administration's approach of "we don't care what everybody else thinks" does not seem to help them now.

"I am sure someone will jump on these questions saying that the problem was just a technical one and that it is not an issue of consumption and capacity," he said.

Power stations in Ohio, U.S. energy officials admit, were overstretched. But more importantly, the financial losses sustained by businesses during the power outages are higher than any five-year energy conservation programme.

Germany, on the other hand, is an example of a country with a forward-looking energy policy. The German government pays for every kilowatt produced through solar and wind energy not just to the monopoly-bound utility company but to factories, households and investors.

"This is not exactly the case on the other side of the Atlantic. The opening of the Alaska oil fields is not going to prevent another massive power failure. There's no way. And they know it," said Borraccino.

"Despite all the recurrent costly examples, it seems we are not yet convinced that the problem is not in the supply and demand of energy but instead on the way we perceive it as it relates to the bigger picture and the consequences whether in the short or long term."

"If we just concentrate on capacity and demand, which is the main culprit of these disastrous blackouts, it would be enough to take a few past examples of a practical approach and see how the problem could have been minimised, if not avoided altogether," he said.

He cited China as an example of a country that has adopted a better lighting system. "In the last few years, China has embraced new lighting technology. They figured that billions of such lights will have to be powered everyday. So instead of retaining the old incandescent bulb technology, they replaced them with new compact fluorescent lights."

God Gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into its nest.

What I’m about to say here may be academic now.
I was an extremist myself. To me it was the logical thing to do, and be. Perhaps I didn’t grasp how extreme my reaction was to things I hold close to my heart.
But some things that seemed logical then may not hold true now. Realisations never precede events. They only happen after one gets to see the bigger picture.
I’ve come to realise the way I reacted to the episode involving that med guy sprang from seeing things through my own little lens.

I was headstrong. But I should have used my head to handle myself, and my heart to handle others.

It’s getting clear now I had a limited understanding of your dad’s grip on your own judgement. I’ve never been in a similar situation before.
He has an extremely overwhelming power of suggestion over you, I thought, and he finally came around to using it.
Little did I know that the Manens episode would open my eyes far and wide about one startling reality. My parents suggested they finally found their choice for a lifetime partner for me. But when it comes to human emotions, only the heart reigns supreme.
And emotions take time to take root. And I only realised it now.

My parents have never done that before. So I didn’t know how to react when it happened to you first.
I’ve always followed my parents’ wishes since I was a child. But it’s one incident when I knowingly and deliberately disappointed them — and never felt guilty about it.

Back to the med school guy story: If you will recall, I was really fuming mad that the issue was brought up at all.
Maybe you didn’t read it between the text lines I sent after that. Maybe you weren’t aware of the emotional troubles I grappled with at the time. Maybe my words were never strong enough. Maybe you refused to acknowledge I am also an emotional human being who needed to be assured.
I kept on saying: “he desecrated/violated his own rule.”
That was the sticking point. Even if it was suggested in jest, I had an extremely different take of the situation. I felt mad. For a long time.
And when no soothing, even assuring words were forthcoming from you, that only reinforced my troubles.

It was my loneliest Christmas and New Year.

I was forced to live in exile, I thought, during what could have been my happiest days of the year, having the chance to spend it with you on the sly and being with my family.

All for an unrequited love. I thought your folks were more interested in your perceived future convenience than living what I thought was your undying love for me.

I felt to have been taken for a ride, agreeing to be alone on Christmas day just to so my girlfriend could be introduced by her own father to another “omagad”.

Again, that was a violation of a long-standing rule. Even if we’ve been breaking it, we both suffered for it.

But instead of reassuring words, you went on devaluing the meaning of Christmas celebrations to me.

Maybe you didn’t grasp how fuming mad I’ve become. So I’ve nothing to lose because I was already in hell — or high water.
I literally forced myself to date when Valentine came around because I thought that would ease the pain.
I thought you’d be burning the line with your dad’s “manok” na. After our never-ending fights, it would have been the logical thing to do.

Maybe Igo was your kneejerk reaction to a frustrating situation. I understand that. But it’s this same understanding that gives me hope of a more fulfilling life.

Now I understand the inner workings of my own emotions and how to deal with others’ feelings, especially of someone you profess to love deeply.
I’ve come to realise that insensitivity can aggravate what you later called a “non-issue”. But I also realise that going to the extremes — in words, in actions — does not help in having a better understand a given situation.
Because if every gripe against a person or a country is settled by setting off a nuke, the world would have been destroyed many times over.

18:59:13/06-08-03
Ei, dl ds song dn by splendor. “d lonelist person I know.” Another song I think I wana sing to u, bsyds dos already n the compilation. Btw, some of those r songs I wanted u to sing to me. Pro not anymore. Sad…

18:02:41/06-08-03
Funy that a person can sing such a diff tune nang la pang 1 month.. see how inconsistent u r?m glad I didn’t make the mistake of kissing u. now how does that freedom u were so big about feel? Enjoy it, k? & id rader u keep mum about everything to t2 riki.

18:59:13/06-08-03
Ei, dl ds song dn by splendor. “d lonelist person I know.” Another song I think I wana sing to u, bsyds dos already n the compilation. Btw, some of those r songs I wanted u to sing to me. Pro not anymore. Sad…

18:02:41/06-08-03
Funy that a person can sing such a diff tune nang la pang 1 month.. see how inconsistent u r?m glad I didn’t make the mistake of kissing u. now how does that freedom u were so big about feel? Enjoy it, k? & id rader u keep mum about everything to t2 riki.

Well, thanks for your I-stories.
Sure, you’re entitled to having the time of your life, with Igo or with anybody else.
I dunno how to say this now. But judging from the way we’ve dealt with the difficulties we faced, I keep wondering if our withering away from each other was bound to happen.
I imagined you running to somebody else’s arms sooner than later because of that.
I must admit I didn’t have the slightest idea how to handle misunderstandings and emotional outbursts. I think I mishandled the Manny#2 episode. Maybe, I was too ‘natural’, spontaneous with my reactions. Even too extreme.
Well, Mr. I’s ‘natural’ entry into your life took place just when I thought things were getting better for us. (Funny the other day, I was just writing a story about the use of “e-go” smart cards. Can’t help noticing the irony)
As for me, I didn’t run into somebody else’s emotional rope.
Not yet.
Call me picky but I’ve discovered Ms. A.’s own flaws, which I can’t live with. Not least of which is the knowledge that she’s been seeing someone else on the side.
I dunno why I showed you those daft pictures of hers and Manens. Guess I just wanted to be absolutely honest with you about the whole thing.
Maybe the timing was perfect after all…
I’m sorry if I made you go through the exact same emotional storm in the past that I’m going through only now. I just hope I can deal with it as if nothing really happened.
Every normal human being is born with the ability to discriminate targets in life’s daily battles. My only hope is that Mr. I will make you become a better shooter.
I sort of degenerated in my prayer life lately. But if only for this intention I shall promise to fervently pray that you’ll be genuinely happy in his arms and care.
But if things would go wrong somehow, I’ll still be here for you.
Making you happy was something I sorely wanted to do.
By fighting for you, not with you. But it seems like I didn’t know to handle my own emotions. I knew I’ve bungled my chances. Add to that the challenge of distance.
It was tough. I poured out to you everything the way I knew best. I mortgaged the good things I’ve done in pursuit of those fleeting moments of magic.
It may seem moot now, and that silent pursuit may seem to you as lacking in substance.
Whatever becomes of the broken hearted, I’m yet to discover.
Now, I must battle with having to extricate myself from that natural state of things which drew me to you.
Going back to handling conflicts, I think they’re character builders. If there’s one good thing about wars, the kind that bites the flesh, it is that those who’ve seen it all and survived are taken to a higher stage of understanding.
It pushes civilisation forward.
I’m sure you now know how to handle your man better this time. But I know I shall be a better man because of you.